Textile lubricant and process



Patented July 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES- JOSEPH J. SCHAEFER, JB., OF DAYTON, OHIO.

TEXTILE LUBRICANT AND raocnss.

No Drawing.

This invention relates to a textile lubricant and to a process of usingsuch a lubricant in the manufacture of the textiles In the manufactureof textile fabrics, and more particularly in the manufacture of wo'olensand worsteds, it is customary to apply a lubricant to the raw materialto preserve the fibers or threads of the material by facilitating theseparation and straightening of the same. In the working of virgin woolit is necessary to lubricatethe material'but once, prior to carding, butwhen using reworked wool, which is known as shoddy, the material must betwice lubricated if it is to be dyed. Sho'ddy usually consists in partat least of woolen rags but it may contain .some vegetable fibers and issubjected to what is known as the picking operation to separate thefibers or threads of the rags. With the ordinary lubricant, which may bered oil, the shoddy is first lubricated to preserve the fiber, thenpicked and then cleansed to remove the lubricant, the dyeing takingplace between the picking and carding operations. After dyeing't-hematerial is dried, again lubricated, carded, manufactured into fabricand again cleansed. The character of the lubricant generally used issuch that it is diflicult to remove it from the material and it isnecessary to employ large quantities of soap and other detergents whichare injurious to the woolen fibers, particularly if used in largequantities, and most oils also have a more or less injurious effect uponthe apparatus used in handling the material. Further, the materialcontaining the lubricant, when piled or baled in quantities, is subjectto spontane ous combustion.

One object of the invention is to providea textile lubricant which canbe quickly and easily removed from the material; which will have noharmful effect upon the material itself or upon the apparatus used inhandling the same; and which will not be subject to spontaneouscombustion.

A further object of the invention is to provide a textile lubricant ofsuch a character that the material containing the same need not bewashed prior to the dyeing operation but the lubricant itself may be sotreated as to provide the chemicals usually used with the dye stuff inthe dyeing operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a process of using myimproved lubricant in the manufacture of textiles.

Application filed January 5, 1928. Serial No. 244,174.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the invention is describedin detail.

To secure the desired results I employ a lubricant containing an alkalimetal lactate, such as sodium lactate, potassium lactate of the like,which is applied to the material to the carding operation. The lubricantis applied to such textile stock or material in suitable quantities,usually about fifteen percent of the weight of the material to belubricated, and the material is then carded and. spun into a yarn and isready to be woven into a fabric. After weaving and shrinking the fabricis then cleansed to remove the lubricant by washing. The sodium lactatebeing soluble in water can be very-easily re-, moved from the materialand requires the use of but a small quantity of soap, without otherdetergents which might have an injurious effect upon the finishedmaterial.

Some other textile materials, more particularly shoddy, requirea pickingoperation to separate the fibers of threads thereof prior to the cardingand are dyed between the picking and carding operations. With suchmaterials the raw material is lubricated prior to the picking operation,in the same manner that the virgin wool is lubricated prior to carding.In the dyeing of shoddy it is customary to employ a dye which requiresthe use of a leveling agent, such as sodium sulphate, and of an acid,such as lactic acid, as a dyeing assistant. With the ordinary lubricantsthe picked shoddy is washed to remove the lubricant therefrom and theleveling agent and assisting acid are added. With my improved lubricantit is unnecessary to wash or otherwise cleanse the material beforedyeing but the material is subjected to the action of an acid which willconvert the lubricant into other substances which will serveas theleveling agent and dyeing assistant. When sodium lactate is used as thelubricant I add to the material containing the lubricant a smallquantit-y of acid, preferably sulphuric acid, andthis acid will reactupon the sodium lactate to form sodium sulphate and lactic acid. Thesulphuric acid may be addedin any suitable manner, as by placing it inthe dye solution in which the material is immersed. In this manner thelubricant or sodium lactate is chemicallyremoved from theAmaterial, sothat it will not be present to interfore with the dyeing. and by the useof a very inexpensive mineral acid the lubricant itself is convertedinto sodium sulphate, thereby providing the necessary leveling agent.and into lactic acidwhich is one of the most desirable of the organicacids for use as a dyeing assistant, as it has little or no harmfuleffect upon the material. After the picked shoddy has been dyed thesurplus liquid is extracted therefrom, as by the usual drying processorby the use of a centrifugal apparatus, and it is then again lubricatedand carded, after which the manufacturing and cleansing operationsproceed as in the case of virgin wool.

It will be apparent, therefore, that by the use of my improved lubricantin the manner above set forth I materially cheapen the manufacturingprocesses by simplifying and cheapening the cleansing operation, and inthe case of shoddy or the like by eliminating one cleansing operation.Further, I expedite and cheapen the manufacture of shoddy both byelimination of the washing prior to dyeing and by the conversion ofthelubricant into the necessary leveling agent and dyeing assistant.Further, I practically eliminate all liability of injuring the textilematerial during the manufacturing process, because the sodium lactateitself has no injurious action thereon and its removal does not requirethe use of alkalies or other substances which are injurious to thefibers. Due to the fact that it is not necessary to employ largequantities of soap, alkalies or other detergents in the removal of thelubricant the finished product is much more satisfactory than it is whensubjected to the ordinary washing operations, because it is softer andhas a better luster. My improved lubricant has no injurious effect uponthe apparatus, such as leather conveyors and the like, used in thehandling of the material and material containing the same is not subject to spontaneous combustion.

' Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is: I

1. A textile lubricant containing an alkali metal lactate.

2. A textile lubricant comprising an aqueous solution of an alkali metallactate.

vkali metal lactate to a material to be treated,

carding the material, manufacturing said material intofabricand removingthe lactate from the fabric.

7. A process of treating textilescomprising the application of asolution of an alkali metal lactate to a material to be treated, cardingthe material, manufacturing said material into fabric and washing thefabric in water to dissolve the lactate and remove the same from thefabric.

8. A process of treating textiles comprising the application of asolution of an alkali metal lactate to the material to be treated,separating the fibers of said material, applying to the materialcontaining the lactate an acid which will react on the lactate toliberate lactic acid, dyeing the material and then drying the dyedmaterial.

9. A process of treating textiles comprising the application of-asolution of sodium lactate to the material to be dyed, separating thefibers of said material, subjecting the material containing the lactateto the action of sulphuric acid to convert the sodium lactate intosodium sulphate and lactic acid, dyeing the material, extracting thesurplus water from the dyed material, again applying a solution ofsodium lactate to the material, carding the material, manufacturing thecarded material into fabric and then washing the fabric to remove thelactate therefrom.

10. A process of treating textiles comprising the application of asolution of sodium lactate to the material to be treated, separating thefibers of said. material, immersing the material containing said sodiumlactate in a dye solution containing sulphuric acid, extracting thesurplus water from the dyed material, again applying sodium lactate tothe material, carding the material, manufacturing the carded materialinto fabric and washing the fabric in water to dissolve the lactate andremove the same therefrom.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature hereto.

JOSEPH J. SCI-IAEFER, JR.

